Suspected IS militants kill two Iraqi mayors in Diyala

Baghdad (Iraqinews.com) – Two Iraqi mayors were killed on Monday night in separate armed attacks believed to be carried out by Islamic State (IS) militants in Diyala province, government sources were quoted as saying.

Speaking to Alghad Press Tuesday, the sources said, “The mayor of Umm al-Henta village in northeastern Diyala was killed alongside his son after six armed men knocked the door of his house on Monday night.”

His daughter was also wounded in the shooting, the sources pointed out.

In a subsequent armed attack, the sources said, “Armed men opened fire at the mayor of al-Arab al-Kabira village, northeast of Diyala, leaving him dead.”

The culprits behind the two attacks are believed to be members of the Islamic State group, the sources noted.

Iraqi cities have seen almost daily bombings and armed attacks against security members, paramilitary troops and civilians since the Iraqi government launched a wide-scale campaign to retake Islamic State-occupied areas in 2016.

Though most of the daily bombings go without a claim of responsibility, Islamic State is expected to be behind many.

The surge in violence between armed groups and government forces has resulted in over 3 million internally displaced persons across Iraq and left more than 11 million in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The Islamic State group appeared on the international scene in 2014 when it seized large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria, declaring the establishment of an Islamic “caliphate” from Mosul city.